Malaysia will reduce airport tax for passengers at the Low Cost Carrier Terminals (LCCT) in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu starting from June 1, Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said Wednesday.

 

For tickets purchased on or after June 1 this year, the airport tax at the two LCCTs will be reduced from 9 ringgit (US$2.65) to 6 ringgit (US$1.76) for domestic passengers and from 51 ringgit (US$15) to 25 ringgit (US$7.35) for international passengers.

 

"The government is confident that the implementation of the new airport tax at the two LCCTs will help increase the number of air passengers," Chan said while announcing the decision in the administrative center of Putrajaya.

 

The tax reduction for the terminals will ensure that Malaysia has the cheapest airport tax rate in the region, the minister told reporters.

 

He said the new airport tax rate includes the security charge, and the same rate will be applied to new LCCTs that might be built in future.

 

For other airports in this country, the airport tax and the security charge will remain unchanged and continue to be collected separately, Chan added.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2007)